I have been a proponent of nature play in and out of school time for twenty years.

But you all know this. I write about the benefits of nature, unstructured play, and reasonable risk for optimal child development all the time. In fact, it’s what The Grass Stain Guru blog is all about.

I stumbled on this lovely and powerful video that explores nature play in three schools in Scotland. It bares mentioning that the narrator states how the UK is far behind European schools embracing nature play. And let it said, the USA is far behind the UK in embracing nature play and reasonable risk for children.

Well, it’s time to play catch up!

Please watch this video for inspiration and ideas to bring nature to your school or center grounds.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

 ”In order to succeed in the real world, you have to be

able to fail.” ~  Dr. Ken Ginsburg

For several years now, I have been speaking and writing on just this topic. On Super Kids. On education reform. On the importance of play and time in nature. On the need to fail. On the need for parents to relax and let kids be kids. In fact, it’s why I started this blog — to create a place to talk about restoring childhood and saving ourselves in the process.

I am so excited to share this video with you. How powerful is the need for play and the need for parents to step back and help redefine success in a way that is not measured by test scores and achievements, but by happiness and resiliency? Let’s have a few voices from the medical field chime in.

We are raising a generation at risk and as a society we must change our course. It’s really that simple. Please watch the video below and share it with people you know. If you are a parent, step back and take a critical look at the childhood your kids are having.

The video features Dr. Ken Ginsburg, pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and author of Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Kids Roots and Wings, and Dr. Marilyn Benoit, Chief Clinical Officer at Devereux Behavioral Health and former president of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

I would love to know your thoughts on the video.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: Kazz.0

Recently, I had the opportunity to do a really fun workshop for early childhood educators and caregivers up in Winnipeg, Canada. For me, early childhood is the best place to establish connections with the natural world and help establish preferences for outdoor play and exploration.

Reaching children and families BEFORE the plugging-in of childhood to media and electronic devices is key to help raise a generation of happy, healthy children — and early childhood professionals are  the linchpin for success.

Besides, there is no audience I would rather work with. Early childhood folks have a playful spirit and are so game for anything, including making up dances and cheers about little brown bats, pocket gophers, tree frogs and red squirrels. No, I am not kidding you.

But I digress…

So, I thought I would share one of the outcomes of our workshop here — and let me tell you, we put the work in workshop!  We created a school/program-year calendar of nature and outdoor play ideas and activities.

Click on the link below to download your calendar today. You’ll find a little bit of everything – math, art, movement, science, literacy, and lots of play and exploration. Um, and lots of snow-related activities. It was Canada, after all.

calendar_nature

I hope you enjoy the calendar, and are inspired to take your teaching outside — and bring the outdoors in. I promise, there is no better way to reach and teach all children. Besides, it will “raise your game” as an educator and/or caregiver.

I would love to know what you think. And please share the calendar far and wide. The more kids we get outside, the better!

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

PS: To all my groovy workshop attendees, thanks for all the great ideas! What you’ll find here is a combination of your group work, the activities we did in the workshop and additional activities from me to fill in the blanks, etc. Yay team!

This post is part of the We Play link-up at Childhood 101 and the Let’s Play link-up at Let the Children Play. Viva play!

photo credit: Gdpaule

Hello, my beloved nature detectives! It’s time to dust of the Mystery Critter game. I took a bit of a break after finding out that someone was stealing the series and publishing it as their own. But, you can’t keep a playful spirit down, so let’s dive back in!

You’ve worked hard all week, and now it’s time to play hard, and see what Mother Nature has up her sleeve.  Put on your thinking caps and let’s get to it! And remember — no cheating.

CRITTER CLUES:

• I dine on insects, snakes and small mammals
• I make my home in deciduous forests
• Some might say I am shrill (The nerve!)
• I can be shy
• Many of you may have seen me, or one of my cousins
  

So, what am I?

Make your guess then go to eNature for the answer and more interesting facts.

Did you get it right?

If not, no worries. You will have another chance soon!

Remember, when looking for wildlife, keep your eyes and ears open! Look high and low, and most importantly, enjoy yourself. Nature is not a destination — it’s all around us, and beautiful in so many ways.

What critters can you spot in your neck of the woods? Be sure to tell us!

And don’t forget! Join the Wildobs community and share your wild adventures with the world.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: TheNickster

As I suspect is the case with most writers, I am a reader. My nightstand is always filled with books. Sure, I have a novel with a high body count (I can’t help it — I’m twisted!), but I always have a book or two that add something to my life, besides just being brain candy.

Right now, I have two great books going.

The first is The Nature Principle by Richard Louv. If you read Louv’s fantastic book, The Last Child In the Woods, think of this as the adult version of that. Why is nature so important to us as adults? As human beings? It’s an important book for today’s harried society, and I encourage each of you to read it.

I am also reading the re-released Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative by Sir Ken Robinson. I read (and loved!) the original years ago, but let’s face it, sometimes we all need a kick in the creative pants. And this book is giving me just that.

Of course, if you read this blog regularly, these titles will come as no surprise to you. Both men are personal heroes of mine — I respect their work and their capacity to capture an audience so greatly. If you aren’t already, follow them on Twitter — @RichLouv and @SirKenRobinson, respectively.

So tell me, what’s on your nightstand?

Happy reading!

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: falldownmoon

“As a child, one has that magical capacity to move among the many eras of the earth; to see the land as an animal does; to experience the sky from the perspective of a flower or a bee; to feel the earth quiver and breathe beneath us; to know a hundred different smells of mud and listen unself- consciously to the soughing of the trees.”

~ Valerie Andrews, A Passion for this Earth

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of outdoor preschools, and couldn’t be more excited about them taking root (ha – get it!) here in the United States.

To learn more about this exciting educational approach — and to get some great resources and ideas — visit my friend Ken Finch’s site, Green Hearts.

photo credit: Kirstea

For the last several years, I have been lucky enough to be part of the Nature Action Collaborative for Children (NACC), which is part of the World Forum Foundation.

NACC brings together over 1,600 multi-disciplinary professionals from across the globe with the sole purpose to connect children with nature. From Yemen to New Zealand — and everywhere in between. Places big and small — very rich, and extremely poor.

The what and the how are often different — but the why, along with the passion and dedication is always the same. You never leave a meeting without a new-found awe at what mission-oriented people can do, no matter what stands in their way.

Below you will find a video created by NACC — The Universal Principles for Connecting Children With Nature.

I would love to hear what you think.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

If you are a regular reader, there’s no doubt you are well aware of my obsession admiration for Sir Ken Robinson. His name is no stranger to this blog, nor my Facebook or Twitter streams, conversations with random strangers, or…

WWSKRD is my motto….(um, and tattoo).

Spend 19 minutes with Robinson, and once again be reminded of your role on this big blue marble of ours.  As a human. Hint: It is not to merely make it through or to “get on with it.”

If you are a parent, an educator or a policy maker — you have alternate roles you MUST consider.

As a member of the voting public, we all have parts to play. Voices to raise. Rights to exercise.

There is a revolution brewing. Be part of it. It’s just that simple.

It’s time to get disenthralled. I’m with ya, Ken!

Care to join me?

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

PS: Want more Sir Ken Robinson (and really, who doesn’t?!), check out some of my previous love letters posts:

Dear Santa: A Letter from The Grass Stain Guru

Creativity: Or What Kids Have Before We Teach It Out of Them

Breaking the Box: Permission to Dream

The great blog, Urban Preschool, recently shared this video and I found it so inspiring, I just had to post it as well.

Now, how do we make sure Arne Duncan sees it? And every parent of an infant or preschooler?!

Play.

Child-centered.

Teachers that are trusted to do their jobs.

Real learning.

Did I mention play yet?!

Genius.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

When discussing the United States’ current education system, Seth Godin says,

“We train the factory workers of tomorrow. Our graduates are very good at following instructions. And we teach the power of consumption as an aid for social approval.”

~ from the book, Linchpin

I couldn’t agree more.

More anti- learning drone prose can be found at the Washington Post in the piece, Why fun in learning is so important.

The “race to the top” is a race to nowhere. Why is this so hard to understand?

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: ??